Domestos - Clostridium Difficle

Clostridium difficile

What is it?

A spore forming bacterium and one of the normal bacteria in the gut in 3% of healthy adults.
Also known as C.difficile or C. diff.
From time to time C.difficile gets the chance to reproduce rapidly, normally in an elderly person being treated with antibiotics, and causes potentially serious diarrhoea.

How does it spread

It is possible for C. difficile spores to spread between people as sufferers shed spores during episodes of diarrhoea.
These spores can survive for a long time and can be transported on the hands of people who have direct contact with patients or surfaces contaminated with C.difficile.

Who is at risk?

Those most at risk are the elderly (65+) particularly those taking antibiotics to supplement the good bacteria in their gut.
Because the bacteria forms heat-resistant spores cleaning with a non hygienic cleaner & hot water alone is not enough to tackle it. It is able to thrive on almost any surface, particularly in hospitals or nursing homes, for long periods of time.
Whilst babies can carry the bacteria it rarely causes them problems. However, they can still pass the bacteria on to more vulnerable people.

Symptoms

Prevent the spread
Make sure hands are thoroughly washed after going to the toilet and before preparing food.
Squirt bleach around the toilet regularly. Keeping the toilet hygienically clean becomes more important when
someone in the house has diarrhoea. In these instances the toilet should be hygienically cleaned after each time they use it.
Surfaces that are used frequently can become home to many germs which then pass from surface to surface - particularly if there's someone in the home who is infected. Make sure you keep them hygienically clean with a bleach based cleaning spray e.g Domestos bleach cleaning spray.
While the risk is normally small these precautions become useful if someone in the home is unknowingly carrying C.difficile, as it helps prevent it from spreading.